Dark Tails vs Infinite (Fanfic challenge entry)
by DiddyKF1
Summary: This is my answer to grimlock1997's fanfic challenge involving a battle between his Sonic Boom Dark Tails character and Infinite from Sonic Forces. Contains SonTails brotherly fluff, and TailsXZooey romance. Rated T for mild bloody violence. Image of Dark Tails was originally made by RoyalTwilight.


_**Okay. So, on DeviantArt, my good friend, grimlock1997, posted a fanfic challenge, in which a battle would take place between his Sonic Boom version of Dark Tails and Infinite from Sonic Forces, after Infinite travels to the Sonic Boom dimension using the Phantom Ruby. This is my response, and he allowed me to post it not only on DA, but also on here!**_

 _ **Enjoy this epic battle! :)**_

* * *

 _ **DARK TAILS VS. INFINITE**_

* * *

It was a sunny day on Bygone Island. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and everywhere outside of the village was very quiet. It seemed like just another typical day where everyone could just sit back and relax.

All five members of Team Sonic were having lunch at Meh Burger. The only real things that could be considered eventful were Knuckles talking nonsense like he always did, and Sticks rambling about her paranoia, prompting Amy to calm her down from time to time.

Sonic and Tails, on the other hand, were sitting next to each other and each sharing half of a chili sub that they ordered together. They simply ignored their friends as they went on with their nonsense. It seemed like just another uneventful day for them as they ate their lunch.

Just then, Tails peeked from behind Sonic's shoulder and spotted Zooey walking towards them; the vixen he loved so much. A smile crept onto his face as he looked at her, and once Zooey noticed him, she smiled right back.

"Hey, Tails!" she called to her boyfriend.

"Hi, Zooey!" Tails replied, and he stood up from his seat at the table and ran over to his girlfriend.

The two foxes hugged each other tightly and lovingly, and this managed to gain the attention of Tails' teammates, even enough for them to stop rambling nonsense and watch the romantic scene with happiness (or, in Sticks' case, just a neutral expression).

"What a nice surprise, sweetie!" chuckled Tails once he and Zooey broke their hug.

"I was just on my way to the fruit market," replied Zooey, "It's so nice to see my Tailsy with a smile on his face!"

"Aww, Zooey!" said Tails sheepishly with his cheeks blushing brightly.

Sonic watched proudly as his little brother shared one of his many romantic moments with the love of his life. He felt so happy for Tails to have a loving figure in his life at such a young age. Amy and Sticks also had to agree that they were happy for Tails, but Knuckles simply felt absolutely clueless to what was going on.

Suddenly, there was a long, rumbling noise, and Team Sonic looked in the direction the noise was coming from. Immediately, they could see many Hedgehog Village civilians running and begging for their lives.

"Egghead, you have got to be kidding me right now!" sighed Sonic.

"We can't even have lunch without being interrupted!?" complained Knuckles.

"Better see what he's up to!" said Tails.

"Tails?" Zooey spoke up just as her boyfriend was about to leave, and the two-tailed fox stopped and looked at her, "Whatever happens, … just be careful, please, … for me?"

Tails gave Zooey a soft grin and replied in a calm voice, "I will, sweetie. I'm sure we can easily dismantle Eggman's robots into heaps of scrap just like we always do. Don't worry, sweetie."

"Uh, … guys?" came Sonic's concerned voice.

Everyone looked at Sonic, and the blue hedgehog was staring in shock at a strange figure that was slowly approaching them.

The figure was a black-furred jackal, with white dreadlocks, a scarred, blue right eye, sharp fingers, and a silver mask, among other frightening features. In his hand was a glowing red ruby.

"What … is that?" asked Amy.

"It's one of those government-built lifeforms that have come to rip us into a million pieces!" suggested Sticks, and everyone only groaned in response to her paranoia and false conclusions.

"Your jokes are unappreciated," said the jackal, and Sticks simply gasped in shock.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Sonic spoke in a threatening manner.

"Well, it's about time someone asked me a question, considering most of your faces look familiar," replied the jackal.

"What are you talking about?" asked Tails, "We've never met you before."

"That's because, your faces are familiar from another dimension," explained the jackal.

The heroes simply looked at each other oddly, before Tails spoke up …

"Let me get this straight: you traveled here from another dimension? One where you met us?"

"And fought you!" added the jackal, "Seeing as these versions of you have no knowledge of who or what I am, I mind as well introduce myself. I am Infinite. In my dimension, I was the former leader of a jackal squad before a black hedgehog wiped it out. I joined forces with Doctor Eggman to ensure that I would grow stronger, but a certain blue hedgehog eventually defeated me after I had managed to strangle him so many times. However, in this dimension, I'm sure that you're much more weak and pathetic than the other versions of you in that other dimension."

"You think so?" argued Sonic, "Well, we'll show you weak and pathetic!"

"I think it'll be all too easy for me!" protested Infinite, "I'm face to face with four familiar faces, and two that I've never seen before! None of you stand a chance against me!"

Upon hearing those words, Amy sprawled up from her chair and pulled out her hammer, Sticks pulled out her boomerang, and Tails activated his Gold Ray, which he had reluctantly decided to keep and make improvements to, after Team Sonic felt convinced that it would be a suitable weapon against their enemies once improved. It still surprised him that it had somehow managed to survive after being left in Doctor Eggman's exploding fortress, which he found out the next time his team went there after it was rebuilt.

"Go ahead!" taunted Infinite with an evil smile, "Try me!"

Amy was the first to strike, and she aimed her hammer at Infinite's hammer, but as she swung it down, the jackal simply grasped the other end of the hammer like it was simple and weightless, and she swung it around and tossed it and Amy into a nearby building.

"Amy!" the others yelled after watching this unfold, and they glared at Infinite.

"Take this!" Sticks roared, and she tossed her boomerang towards the jackal.

Infinite, however, caught the boomerang with his sharp fingers and threw it back towards the badger at such high speed that she had no time to react before it struck her in the face, and she fell to the ground, knocked out cold.

Knuckles charged towards Infinite and prepared to ram his namesake fists at him, but the villainous jackal's response was grabbing the fist aimed for him and throwing the echidna high into the air. He then jumped and punched Knuckles in the stomach so hard that he went flying towards another building, crashing through a window.

"Does anybody else have the courage to attack me?" teased Infinite once he came back down.

Sonic curled into a ball and attempted a Spin Dash attack, but Infinite's black fist smacked against the blue blur and tossed him towards the Meh Burger table they were sitting at. Their lunches scattered everywhere as the hedgehog hit the table and fell to the floor.

"SONIC!" screamed Tails, as Zooey ducked behind him for safety.

The fox fixed his eyes on Infinite and aimed his Gold Ray at him, but before he could fire, Infinite opened his hands and let out some form of energy that pulled the weapon out of Tails' hands and towards his own.

"Nice try, fox!" the jackal said, "But now it's time to finish you and your miserable group of useless friends!"

"NO!" Zooey screamed, and she stood in front of Tails.

Tails gasped in horror and tried to push Zooey aside for her own safety, and the vixen refused to step aside.

"Zooey! Don't!" the two-tailed fox begged, "I can't let you do this!"

"So, what do we have here?" said Infinite as he slowly approached the two foxes.

"Stay away from Tails!" Zooey demanded with a warning glare.

Infinite ignored her words and simply brought his sharp fingers to her chin.

"Don't touch her!" yelled Tails.

"Ah, quite a beautiful one, I suppose," said Infinite with a smile that made him look as if he was admiring Zooey's appearance, "And from what I can see, you two must be in love with each other. Am I right?"

"Leave her alone, Infinite!" shouted Tails, pulling Zooey away from their newest enemy, "She is not yours to torment!"

"Everyone is mine to torment!" Infinite shot back, "After all, I am the Ultimate Mercenary, and you'd best to remember that, you little monster!"

"A monster!?" said Tails, "You're the monster, and I won't let you touch her or any of my friends!"

Then, there came another voice, which could only have been the ignorant Mayor Fink …

"What are you doing, just standing there, you fools!? Finish him!" he spoke with several policemen standing next to him as his bodyguards.

Tails gave one nasty look at the mayor, but even if it wasn't even for one single, precious second, it was enough time for Infinite to make his next move …

While the fox had his eyes on Fink, the jackal quickly pointed Tails' Gold Ray at Zooey and pulled the trigger …

The vixen screamed and went flying for hundreds of yards at high speed, until she crashed into a fruit stand. The entire stand collapsed right on top of her, and fruits went flying and crashing to the ground in hundreds of pieces. Juice covered the ground surrounding the stand for seemingly miles.

Tails watched it all happen, and he screamed in complete despair …

"ZOOEY! NAAAAAOOOOO!"

The other members of Team Sonic, injured but able to stand, all stood up and limped over to the fruit stand, and they scattered through the debris until they found Zooey …

Her body was completed covered in fruit juice, scratches and several big gashes. All her clothes were ruined beyond recognition. Her eyes were closed, she was bleeding in several areas, and there were bruises everywhere.

"Zooey!" shouted Amy frantically as she knelt down and felt her chest, "Zooey, are you okay!?"

"She's not breathing!" yelled Sticks as she brought her head down towards Zooey's chest.

Hearing those words made Tails' heart stop for a moment, and she looked back just in time to watch Amy perform what surely looked like CPR. His mouth was wide open in disbelief and despair, and tears began to spill from his eyes as he anticipated that the worst would happen in just a matter of minutes.

" _No! Zooey is going to die! I can't believe I let my guard down for just one second, and now I've let my girlfriend down! I … I killed her!"_

His mind got clouded with depressing thoughts as he began to picture having to live the rest of his life without the vixen he loved so much. He had had two girlfriends, and both of them had perished with himself being an indirect cause. First, there was Cosmo, who sacrificed herself to save the galaxy to ensure their victory in the Metarex War, in which Tails had to shoot her with his own Blue Typhoon's Sonic Driver, and now there was Zooey, whom he had actually got to spend much more romantic time but had just been shot by Infinite, again with a weapon he had built himself.

Tails was so distraught over losing his second girlfriend in the same way he lost his first one, that he heard no words from anyone near him.

"Tails?"

"She's …"

"It's o-…"

Eventually, he heard a heartless laugh come out of Infinite's mouth, and he felt something different. He began to feel a newfound rage burning within his system, and it replaced all his sad thoughts with angry ones; ones of fury, bloodlust, and vengeance against the one who attacked (or potentially even murdered) the girl he loved so much. If anyone tried to kill Zooey, whoever did so would never go away unpunished.

"Uh, Tails?" came Sonic's voice of concern, but Tails took no notice.

Infinite could only watch as the fox seethed with rage, and an unexpected change began to take place within him.

"You murdered my girlfriend!" Tails said in a low, threatening voice, "You destroyed the love of my life, … and now, … YOU WILL PAY!"

"Tails, he didn't …," Sonic said, but Tails ignored his big brother's words and continued to stare at Infinite.

The injured hedgehog then watched with shock as Tails' eyes locked onto Infinite, and they changed color from light blue to blood red. His bright yellow fur slowly began to darken in shade, and it soon turned black. A purple aura emerged from his veins and surrounded his body in all directions.

"Oh, no," Sonic managed to sputter, and he quietly backed away from his little brother and joined his other friends who were tending to Zooey's wounds.

Sticks looked up, and she froze in place as she noticed Tails' change in form.

"TAILS!" she screamed, gaining her teammates' attention, and they all looked at their fox friend and saw that he had transformed into something they hoped would never see again …

Dark Tails.

Nobody could move a muscle as they were shocked out of absolute fear. No one dared to say a word as Dark Tails slowly lifted from the ground, and Infinite did the same thing. The two enemies glared at each other with hatred in their eyes. Infinite was smiling evilly, while Dark Tails was glaring vengefully while gritting his teeth.

"No thanks to you, INFINITE, … my girlfriend will be buried in a dark, damp cemetery!"

"By which time I shall be gone, … and you … shall be dead!" Infinite replied in a taunting manner.

None of the surrounding bystanders or townspeople could process any thoughts before Dark Tails powered up his hands and fired a huge, long-lasting Energy Ball towards Infinite, only for the jackal to fire back with one of his own. The purple Energy Balls connected with each other as they refused to release their attacks. It looked as if neither would manage to harm the other as long as they connected the way they did.

Infinite released one finger from one of his hands in an attempt to fire at Team Sonic while keeping Dark Tails' Energy Ball at bay, but his several attempts to hit them all missed, instead hitting the building behind the fruit stand and causing some debris to fall on top of Team Sonic. They all scooted out of the way, dragging Zooey's unconscious body with them, to avoid the debris.

Eventually, Infinite released his energy blast, but instantly rose to a higher height to avoid what was left of Dark Tails' Energy Ball, which ended up blasting one of the nearby buildings to smithereens in just a matter of seconds.

Infinite suddenly teleported out of the fox's sight, and reappeared behind him. Then, just as he was about to mash his black fist into Dark Tails' back, the two-tailed fox reacted quickly and grabbed the jackal's fist, and he tossed him high into the air like he was in a pan of sausages.

With his Light-Speed, Dark Tails flew up to Infinite's height and kicked him in the chest before punching him in the face. The jackal barely showed any signs of pain, though, and he managed to deliver a punch to Dark Tails' chin. The fox yelped in pain for a brief moment, and was only just preparing for another attack, before Infinite slammed both of his fists against his stomach. The dark fox fell to the ground and landed roughly on his back.

"TAILS!" his friends yelled in horror.

"Please! No!" Sonic shouted as he begged with hope that his little brother wouldn't meet his demise.

Dark Tails was only dazed for a moment, and he regained his senses quickly enough for him to notice Infinite preparing to stomp on him from miles above.

Judging his timing accurately, the fox rolled out of the way in the nick of time, and he stood up and formed a Dark Energy Sword.

"You haven't impressed me for a moment!" he roared.

Infinite revealed a sword of his own, which was as red as a ruby.

"Nor have you!" he replied with a voice that was just as monstrous as his enemy's.

"Oh, damnit!" cursed Tails once he saw Infinite's sword, "You have to have a copy of every weapon I can use!?"

"Copy!?" retorted Infinite, "You're so full of shit! Your dark powers are nothing against me and are simple copies of my own and of every other warrior of our kind!"

"You'll taste those words, you cold-hearted bastard!" Dark Tails replied, and the two began to swing their swords at each other.

Even though Dark Tails' sword contained Dark Energy that could easily overpower that of Infinite's, the fox wasn't able to overcome the jackal's excellent swordsmanship with that of his own. It seemed as they were just about equal in all of their fighting abilities that they had used so far. Neither would gain the upper hand anytime soon.

"I thought Dark Tails could easily destroy anybody," said Knuckles as he and his teammates continued to watch the fight, while several doctors picked up Zooey's unconscious body and put her on a stretcher in preparation for her trip to Hedgehog Village General Hospital, which, fortunately, was only two blocks away from where they were.

"I don't think he's much of a match against Infinite, though," admitted Sonic worryingly, "I think Dark Tails has finally found his equal."

"You can say that again!" agreed Amy sarcastically.

The two fighters were still swiping their swords at each other, but still neither had managed to hit the other with a direct hit yet.

Eventually, though, Infinite managed to swing his red sword so violently that it successfully knocked Dark Tails' Dark Energy Sword out of his hand, and caused even more damage to the town. The jackal quickly pointed his sword at the fox's chin and grinned widely at him, showing his terrifying teeth.

"So, Tails, are we now eternally to be locked in an epic battle until judgment day and the trumpets sound?" asked Infinite.

"Or you could surrender," answered Dark Tails, and he grabbed Infinite's sword and snapped it in half with one forceful pull of his arm.

"NO!" screamed Infinite, "I've had that sword as long as I can remember!"

"Well, taste this!" retorted Dark Tails, and he formed another Dark Energy Sword and slashed at Infinite's chest, despite his best efforts to block the attack.

The jackal received a bloody scar that ran all the way from his left shoulder to his right hip.

"AAAAARRRGGGHH!" he screamed in pain as he held his chest with both hands.

"You don't deserve to live … after what you did to Zooey! Justice will be served for my girlfriend!" Dark Tails declared.

The fox powered up another Energy Ball and fired it at Infinite …

However, … the jackal judged the moment flawlessly, and he swiftly engaged his shield that caused the Energy Ball to bounce back and aim at Dark Tails instead.

The fox was so surprised by this that he didn't have time to react before his own Dark Energy hit him square in the chest and blasted him several feet backwards.

"Tails! NO!" screamed Sonic as he watched his little brother fall to the ground again.

"Oh, Chaos! Please spare him!" begged Amy as she looked up at the sky.

"Since when did you become religious?" Sticks questioned her.

Amy simply scoffed and locked her eyes on the battle again.

At that moment, Infinite walked right up to Dark Tails and pinned him down by stepping on his chest. Then, he pulled out the red ruby that he had brought with him and showed it to the stricken fox.

"You see this?" the jackal spoke with a sadistic grin, "This is the Phantom Ruby. With it, I can create replicas of any living creature, or even create illusions based on my own desires. This gem will become a very fitting weapon to play a part in your demise."

With those words, Infinite held the Phantom Ruby directly over Dark Tails as the fox was trying in vain to get the jackal's foot off his chest. The ruby began to glow in a bright shade of red, and within seconds a ball of red slowly emerged from the gem and floated next to Infinite. The red ball then took the form of a two-tailed fox before it turned into what looked exactly like Dark Tails.

"A-another Tails?" stuttered Knuckles.

The newly-formed Dark Tails stood directly above the real Dark Tails and gave him a glare of hatred and bloodlust.

"These replicas contain mass and form, like you'd expect, but no heart or soul," explained Infinite, "Considering that this replica just so happens to be your dark form, you'll be completely helpless."

The jackal laughed heartlessly after his speech, and he finally lifted his foot off of Tails' chest just before turning to the Dark Tails replica.

"Waste him!" he ordered.

Barely an instant later, the fake Dark Tails charged at the real Dark Tails, and began throwing multiple punches and kicks at the poor fox. With each hit, Dark Tails felt excruciating pain as he got tastes of his own medicine.

Team Sonic could only watch helplessly as their fox friend was brutalized to the point of near-death. Sonic himself felt a few tears slip from his eyes as he was sure that his smart, little brother would soon meet his end far too soon.

Dark Tails was then hit by several Energy Blasts from his alternate self, and was slashed across the chest with a Dark Energy Sword. The white fur on his chest received a scar that soon started bleeding.

The fox could barely even stand by the time the fake Dark Tails gave him one final blow, striking him with a full-body slam. The fox was blasted towards a building and crashed back-first against a wall before falling clumsily to the ground.

"NAAAAAAOOOOO!" screamed Sonic in horror.

Infinite smiled with delight as he walked towards the barely conscious Dark Tails. He tapped the replica on the shoulder to signal him to back off, and the fox copy did just that before the jackal once again stood directly over the real Tails.

"You are so weak and pathetic, wimp," Infinite spoke sadistically, "You're a waste to the world, and now the world will have a little more space to spare."

Dark Tails managed to give Infinite another hateful glare, and with the little energy he had left, he kicked the Phantom Ruby that was in the jackal's hand.

At that moment, the Ruby let out a burst of energy, and it struck Dark Tails. Feeling a jolt of pain, the fox's mind suddenly slipped into another vision …

...

 _All of a sudden, Tails could no longer see Infinite or the Dark Tails replica, nor could he see Sonic or his friends anywhere. In fact, he wasn't in the same place he was a moment ago. The two-tailed fox looked around to get a glimpse of his surroundings, until he saw what appeared to be a massive cemetery. The skies above were filled with dark clouds. In fact, the clouds were so dark, it looked as if a world-ending storm would approach in just a matter of minutes._

" _Where am I?" the yellow fox asked himself as he gazed at some of the many tombstones that surrounded him._

" _You're in a new world," replied a deep, demonic voice, "You're in a world where you and your friends have fallen in the hands of those you have defied in the past, and this is where you will be scarred for life."_

" _What are you talking about?" Tails asked as he flinched with fright, "Where are my friends?"_

" _Not here, … except for one," said the voice._

 _With his heart racing with fear, Tails ran across the cemetery to find out who this "one friend" would be. Could this friend be cowering around the cemetery, looking for a savior, or could this friend be buried among the many dead individuals underneath these tombs?_

 _Suddenly, Tails came across another tombstone that had a very familiar name engraved on it, one that he had come to love …_

" _R.I.P._

 _Zooey_

 _Died in the hands of an unknown jackal with the assistance of her own boyfriend._

 _May Miles "Tails" Prower rot in the fires of Hell."_

" _WHAT!?" Tails screamed in pure horror as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks, "This is what happens to my girlfriend!?"_

" _You see, Tails, in the end, the copy of you that Infinite created stabbed Zooey right through the chest while she was recovering in the hospital, but because nobody ever noticed the real you lying among the debris of a ruined village center, the copy was believed to be the real you, and the world turned against you with the hope that your memory be insulted for years to come," explained the demonic voice, "You are such a pathetic fox, Tails, and may you rot in Hell with the love between you and Zooey shattered forever! You're such a humiliating soul, and you are just as much a freak as all of your childhood enemies believed you to be with your twin tails! You will never know love again, and you will be forever bound to the chains of a miserable afterlife!"_

" _No! NO! I CAN'T LET IT END LIKE THIS! NO! NOO! NAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOO!" Tails screamed as his heart exploded and shattered into a million pieces, unable to bear hearing about the love of his life being murdered by his evil copy and himself getting the blame for it._

 _The fox was so distraught that he could no longer stand on his two feet, and he collapsed to the ground and broke into an uncontrollable fit of babyish weeps and tears._

 _Within a moment, he felt the ground beneath him give way, and the next thing he knew was that he had blasted right through the grassy ground and was falling into a pit of fire. He closed his eyes as he prepared for the end, and soon he saw and heard no more._

 _..._

Dark Tails woke up with a loud, deep gasp, and his eyes were wide open with shock. He looked around and found himself lying down against the same wall that the fake Dark Tails had pinned him against. The copy, along with Infinite, were still standing directly above him.

"So, … you only succeeded in revealing my desires to make your life as miserable as possible," said Infinite as he tossed the shattered Phantom Ruby away.

Dark Tails glared at Infinite with nothing but rage written all over his facial expression. After seeing the vision that Infinite had created by using the Phantom Ruby, all he could think about was his bloodlust. He wanted nothing more than to end him so that Zooey would not die such a horrible death. Nothing could stop him now. He had to put an end to Infinite once and for all.

The fox suddenly felt his body shaking in rage and anger. His eyes turned an even brighter shade of red, his purple aura turned darker, and his entire body shot out hundreds of crackles of purple lightning, prompting Infinite and the fake Tails to back away from him to avoid being electrocuted.

Finally, the fox, brutally injured but still not yet defeated, stood up and kept his deathlike gaze aimed at Infinite. He gritted his teeth as he let out several monstrous growls before the only thoughts he had left were his wanted bloodlust for Infinite and the fake Tails. At last, he let out a deafening scream, and a huge ray of dark purple energy emerged from his chest and blasted in all directions. Infinite and the fake Dark Tails were launched backwards and smashed into another building.

Sonic and the others all had their mouths wide open in shock. They all knew what was happening to their fox friend. The Phantom Ruby's illusion had driven Tails into complete insanity, and now it had triggered another form of Tails that they had only seen once before …

Dark Tails 2.0.

"Oh, Chaos!" they all yelled.

"Tails has completely lost it!" shrieked Sticks.

"Run for your lives!" Mayor Fink roared to some nearby villagers, and they all panicked and fled the scene before the now-corrupted fox could notice them.

"You have tortured me for the last time, Infinite, … and now … YOU SHALL DIE!" Dark Tails 2.0 screamed on top of his lungs.

His voice could be heard for miles as it echoed across the entire island.

Infinite and the fake Dark Tails emerged from the rubble of the building they had been blasted into, and they looked up at Dark Tails 2.0 as he levitated several feet up.

Infinite turned to his replica sidekick.

"What are you waiting for!? FINISH HIM!" he ordered.

The fake Dark Tails immediately sprang into action, and he launched towards Dark Tails 2.0, but the real Tails reacted quicker and shot Energy Balls from both hands at the same time. The Energy Balls took only milliseconds to strike the fake Tails and knocked him to the ground.

However, the fox copy seemed to show no signs of pain, and he got right back up.

"But how …!?" said a completely dumbfounded Sonic, "How could he not feel any pain from that!?"

"As long as the Phantom Ruby remains intact, there is no way to stop the replicas! It's all over, Sonic! Say goodbye to your fox friend!" taunted Infinite.

Sonic and the others looked at each other briefly, then they eyed the partially-damaged Phantom Ruby which lied on the ground. They knew what to do.

"Quickly!" the hedgehog whispered, "You guys try to create a distraction while I grab the Phantom Ruby!"

"But Sonic, Infinite's unstoppable!" Amy complained, "Surely, he'll notice everything all at once!"

"But if there's four of us?" added Sonic, "We might just have a slim chance."

Amy, Knuckles and Sticks didn't feel convinced, but they knew that it was the only hope of helping Tails and stopping Infinite.

Once the fake Dark Tails had launched back up to attack Dark Tails 2.0 again, Amy grabbed her hammer and Sticks grabbed her boomerang. Then, along with Knuckles, they all charged at Infinite at the same time. Sonic, on the other hand, zipped towards the Phantom Ruby and grabbed it while Infinite and the Tails copy weren't looking. Then, he hid himself inside one of the demolished buildings that had gone up in flames.

"Now then, to destroy this gem," he said to himself as he looked around to find anything that was suitable enough to smash the Phantom Ruby to pieces.

Sure enough, among the rubble of debris and ash, the hedgehog spotted a small hammer. It may have been nothing compared to Amy's, but he was sure that any hammer would do.

Wasting no time, Sonic grabbed the hammer and charged up his arms to prepare for the swing, then he swung his arms down, and the hammer made contact with the ruby …

… but nothing happened.

"What!?" Sonic gasped, "Don't tell me this Phantom Ruby is indestructible!"

"Outta my way!" came another voice.

Sonic flinched as he was sure that the voice could be the fake Dark Tails, but when he looked up, he saw that it was Amy approaching him with her hammer ready to strike.

The pink hedgehog let out a scream of fury, and she whammed at the ruby with the hammer.

Once again, nothing happened.

"THIS IS RIDICULOUS!" Amy screamed, "NOTHING CAN DESTROY THIS DAMN RUBY!"

Meanwhile, Dark Tails 2.0 was firing multiple Energy Balls towards his evil counterpart. However, one of them missed and headed directly into the building that Sonic and Amy were inside.

The two hedgehogs suddenly saw a purple blast of energy tear through the roof and crash to the floor, directly where the Phantom Ruby was. They then noticed many shards of red flying in all directions, and they ducked to the floor to avoid getting cuts, although they still received a few.

Suddenly, the fake Dark Tails exploded in a big burst of red particles that blew in all directions, much to Dark Tails 2.0's surprise.

"NAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOO!" came Infinite's raging voice echoing for miles.

"Well, Infinite, who's got the upper hand now!?" taunted Sticks.

Infinite's response was punching Sticks and Knuckles like they were simple lightweight punching bags, and they were both blasted into the same building that Sonic and Amy were hiding in.

The blue hedgehog quickly got back on his feet after hearing the crashing noises, and he sped outside to see Infinite glaring at him.

"You little brat!" the jackal spat at him.

"I suggest that you leave now, Infinite," said Sonic, "Or else I'll have you- …"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as a ball of purple energy suddenly hit him and tossed him back into the burning building.

The hedgehog was briefly dazed but quickly got back up, along with his friends, but once they got back outside, Dark Tails 2.0 revealed himself and shot another Energy Ball that landed right in front of his friends.

"Chaos, Tails! What has gotten into you!?" said Amy with an angry glare.

"DO NOTHING, SONIC!" screamed Dark Tails 2.0 in a deathly tone, "HE'S MINE TO FINISH!"

Infinite seized the opportunity to strike another energy blast at Tails, but the dark fox's excellent senses allowed him to anticipate the attack, and he swiftly turned around and fired and held another long Energy Ball that connected with Infinite's energy blast, much like his first attack had done, and the two were once again firing at each other as if they could only fight into a stalemate. Tails' friends could only watch with hope that their fox friend would be able to finish off Infinite, now that they knew that HE wanted to be the one to defeat the jackal.

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep his Energy Ball going much longer, Dark Tails 2.0 finally let go and rose up several feet before firing yet another Energy Ball towards the ground. The purple energy hit the ground with such tremendous force that it created a plume of purple smoke that Infinite couldn't see through.

Finally seeking his opportune moment, Tails made his move …

The dark fox charged himself towards a temporarily-disoriented Infinite, and double-bladed daggers emerged from each of his hands. Infinite could hear what sounded like swords being unsheathed, but he couldn't tell what it was until it was too late …

What happened next would shock everyone watching the fight for years to come …

As Tails approached Infinite, screaming loudly while thinking of nothing but killing the person who nearly left Zooey in life-threatening condition, he aimed his Double-Bladed Energy Wrist Daggers directly towards him. He was traveling at such great speed that the enemy could not react in time.

Then, … there was the sound of four blades slicing directly through someone's chest, and the sound of Infinite screaming in agony and gasping desperately for air …

Dark Tails 2.0's Double-Bladed Energy Wrist Daggers had sliced right through Infinite's chest, and blood was pouring from the wounds and his mouth. Electrical sparks started crackling from his body, which began to glitch like an infected computer, and warp uncontrollably.

The fox licked his lips with delight as he watched Infinite bleed and glitch, then he removed the daggers from his chest with so much force that it pulled the jackal forward, and he fell to the ground on his chest. A pool of blood formed beneath him as his body continued to warp and glitch, and electrical sparks continued to spark from his near-lifeless body.

Team Sonic could not believe their eyes. Never in their lifetime would they expect to see Tails become this violent, but now, their smart, genius-minded two-tailed fox friend … had just taken a life. He had completely obliterated a jackal just to ensure justice would be made for Zooey.

"Oh, no," gasped Amy in shock, "Tails just killed someone."

"I shudder to think about how Zooey will react to this when she finds out," added Sonic, knowing that Zooey would not take it very well if Tails had actually killed someone, even if it was to defend her.

Finally, Infinite's body teleported away, leaving red lines behind, as it trailed off into the sky. The last sign they saw of it was a simple white flash, indicating that the body had returned to its own dimension, thus saving the universe from destruction by having someone in the wrong dimension for too long.

All that was left was the pool of blood Infinite had left behind before his body fled the dimension. Dark Tails 2.0 simply stared at the pool of crimson red liquid while he began to realize what he had done. He had killed someone just because he was sure that that person had killed the vixen he loved so much. Now that he knew that Zooey was still alive, he realized that killing Infinite was not what should have been done, but all he wanted was to see his heart ripped out of his chest, because he had once again lost complete control of his own emotions. But it was too late to undo it now. Infinite was dead, his body had left the dimension, and now the pool of blood that lied in front of him was left as evidence of something he should never have done.

Feeling guilt-ridden over his unnecessarily committed act, Tails felt tears threatening to spill from his eyes, and he felt the Dark power begin to flush out of his system. The sparks of lightning stopped crackling from his black fur, his purple aura turned into a brighter shade of purple, and his red eyes darkened.

Sonic watched this happen, and he sensed that Tails' Dark form was beginning to power down, but not enough for him to turn back to normal. The hedgehog turned back to Amy, Knuckles and Sticks.

"You guys go to the hospital and check on Zooey. Make sure she's at least recovering," he ordered, "I'm gonna stay here and try to comfort Tails."

"Are you sure about that, Sonic?" asked Amy, "He's still in his Dark form. He might attack you."

"He's calmed down somewhat, but he's not calm enough to turn back to normal. I think that some brotherly comfort will do the job, because Zooey is not here to help him," Sonic explained, "Just don't tell her anything until we catch up later."

"Um, … okay," responded Knuckles, acting like he had no idea what Sonic had just said.

"C'mon, guys," said Sticks, and she led Amy and Knuckles on their way to Hedgehog Village General Hospital, where Zooey had just been sent to.

Once the others were gone, Sonic fixed his glance back over to Dark Tails. Although he couldn't tell, the speedster could sense that the fox was crying softly, and the guilt he was going through was just enough to prevent his Dark form from powering down completely.

Cautiously, the hedgehog took small steps as he carefully approached his little brother, and once he was close enough, he spoke softly to him …

"Tails?"

The black fox turned around and faced Sonic. Tears were pouring down his white cheeks, and his scarred chest was stained with blood; not just his own blood from the wound, but also some of Infinite's blood after striking the final blow.

"S-Sonic?" Dark Tails said in a weak voice.

"It's okay, Tails," assured Sonic, and he gently offered his hand, "I'm here, lil' bro."

"I … I killed him," stuttered Dark Tails, "I killed Infinite. I actually killed someone, … and now … Z-Zooey … will never forgive me!"

"Tails," said Sonic, and he held the fox by his shoulders, "Zooey will forgive you, buddy. Once we explain everything to her, everything will be just fine. Trust me."

"What if it won't be fine, Sonic?" lamented Dark Tails.

"It will be, Tails," reassured Sonic, "Besides, I wouldn't say that you actually killed Infinite. All you really did was knock him out so that he'd flee from our dimension and never bother us again. You are not a killer, Tails, nor will you ever be one. You are my special little bro, and you'll always be my special little brother."

For the first time in what seemed like ages, Tails finally smiled, and he hugged Sonic. The blue hedgehog happily returned the embrace, squeezing his fox brother in a such a tight hug that he almost couldn't breathe.

Suddenly, Tails felt all his rage deplete from his body. He found Sonic's words to be so warm and comforting, and he now knew that his big brother would always be by his side, no matter what. They would always be the best of friends, and the best of brothers.

Then, a white light shone around the two brothers, and it quickly became so bright that Sonic had to shut his eyes and turn away. He could hear Tails groaning in pain, but a few seconds later, he stopped groaning, and the light had disappeared.

Sonic opened his eyes and looked at Tails again …

His fur had turned back to its normal yellow color, his eyes were baby blue again, and the purple aura had completely vanished.

The hedgehog smiled with relief that his brotherly comfort had brought Tails back to normal and replaced all the rage with happiness. His warm words of brotherhood had paid off.

Tails panted wearily and looked up at Sonic. He did his best to smile even though he felt very tired.

"It's okay, Tails. I'm right here … just for you," said Sonic gently, and he gently lifted Tails and hugged him tightly so he could carry him, "I'm gonna take you to see Zooey, okay?"

"Okay, Sonic," yawned Tails, "Thank you … so much … for everything."

"You're welcome, little bro," replied Sonic with a warm grin, and he began his slow walk towards Hedgehog Village General Hospital, carrying Tails with him as the fox began to take a snooze.

* * *

Zooey was still unconscious as she lied in the bed in her hospital room. Amy, Knuckles and Sticks could only get glimpses of her as the door was closed, since a doctor was still in the room, checking her over for any signs of serious injuries. They waited rather impatiently, as they hoped that Zooey would be okay. However, they were still troubled by how she might react after finding out that Tails had killed Infinite just for her. They knew she would never want Tails to kill somebody just to defend her or to protect her.

A few minutes later, the trio heard footsteps approaching them, and they could only assume it was a doctor. However, Sonic then appeared in the hallway, carrying Tails with him. The trio saw that Tails' fur had turned back to yellow, an indicator that Sonic had succeeded in bringing his little brother back to normal.

"You managed to get the Darkness out of him?" said Amy with relief.

"Yep," confirmed Sonic, "This time, it was all about brotherly love. Some comforting words and a gentle hug was all it took."

"I still can't believe he actually killed Infinite," sighed Amy, "What will Zooey say about this if she ever wakes up?"

"Actually, … from what I understand, … Tails didn't actually kill Infinite," said Sonic.

"Huh? What do you mean, he didn't kill him?" argued Sticks, "You saw the pool of blood he left behind."

"Infinite was only knocked out, and he fled from our dimension before anything else could happen," explained Sonic, "Maybe there was something in his own dimension that pulled him back in. I'll never understand it, but all Tails really did was knock him out, at least enough to render his body useless."

"I find that hard to understand, but I'll accept it," said Knuckles.

Just then, the door to Zooey's room opened, and the doctor, a female ox, finally came out.

"Give it to us straight, doctor," said Sonic with a frantic expression, "How bad is it?"

"She received a few chest injuries that will heal, although it'll be at least two months before she is fully healed. Also, she received a concussion from that awful collision with the fruit stand. Thankfully, it's nothing serious. It'll heal within a few weeks."

"I'm sure glad Tails wasn't awake to hear that," sighed Sonic.

"Any good news?" asked Knuckles.

The doctor paused for a moment and nodded her head.

"She's stable, and she's just regained consciousness. She's very tired, though, so she'll need a lot of rest. I will allow only two of you to visit her, for half an hour only."

With that, the doctor left the team of heroes alone in the hallway, and a moment later Tails yawned and woke up in Sonic's tight hold.

"Hey there, buddy," whispered Sonic, and Tails slowly opened his eyes and grinned at his brother.

"Hey," he replied weakly.

"I think you two should go in," said Amy, "After all, she needs you more than she needs us."

Sonic nodded his head in acceptance, and the hedgehog walked into Zooey's room, still carrying Tails.

"You think you can put me down, please, Sonic?" asked Tails, feeling a little embarrassed that Sonic had been carrying him for this long, including the whole time he slept on him.

"Sure, Tails," Sonic replied, and he carefully set Tails on his feet.

The two brothers held hands and slowly approached Zooey's bed. They gasped as they saw the state that she was in …

Her forehead had a huge bruise on it, she had a black eye, and, although it was hard to see because she was covered in blankets, her body was covered in bandages, and several machines were hooked onto her. Just seeing her like this made Tails feel so horrible, especially seeing wires pinching through her body. He felt sick yet so sad at the same time. He still couldn't believe that by letting Mayor Fink break his concentration for just one second, he had allowed Infinite to attack her, and he had believed her to be dead for several minutes, before Infinite's illusion revealed that she had survived the attack, but she was in quite rough condition.

"Z-Zo-Zooey?" the two-tailed fox stuttered as he felt his chest aching with the pain of seeing his girlfriend in such a state.

"Hi, Tails," the vixen replied in a weak voice that sounded nothing like the way she usually sounded when she was so healthy and energetic, and this saddened Tails even more.

"Hi, Zooey," greeted Sonic.

"Hey, Sonic," replied Zooey.

"Are you feeling alright?" asked Sonic.

"I'm in a bit of pain right now, but the doctor told me to just relax and it should subside in a little while," answered Zooey.

"Wait," said Tails, "W-what did the doctor say happen to you? I saw Amy performing CPR on you when Infinite attacked you."

"The doctor said I have a few chest injuries and a concussion," said Zooey, "She said that I won't be able to leave home for at least two months once I'm discharged."

"Two months!?" Tails cried in despair, now realizing the enormity of what his one simple mistake had caused, and in no time at all, tears were beginning to fall from his eyes, "Oh, Zooey! Why did this have to happen to you!? Why did I have to lose my concentration for just a second!? Look what I've let happen to you! Two months!? Two months we won't be able to spend at my house!? Two months we won't be able to kiss each other!? Two months we won't be able to hang out together like we do almost every day!? This is all my fault, Zooey! I'm so sorry I let you down! I'm so sorry, Zooey! I don't know if you can ever forgive me, especially after what I did to Infinite!"

Sonic cringed briefly, and Tails' eyes were wide open as he covered his mouth with his hands, realizing what he had just said.

"Oops," he whispered to himself in a low enough volume that Zooey couldn't hear him, and he gulped several times, knowing he had just made a big mistake.

"What?" gasped Zooey, "What did you do to Infinite, Tails? Did you attack him just because he attacked me?"

Knowing he had no choice but to confess everything, Tails broke down completely and began screaming in between babyish weeps …

"I couldn't hold it in, Zooey! I thought you were gone! I thought you were dead, … so … I turned Dark! I turned Dark and tried to kill Infinite, but he fought back and created a heartless clone of my Dark form! Then, the clone brutalized me so much that Infinite could easily kill me with one last punch, but I cracked the ruby he was holding, and it showed me an illusion. I found myself in a world in which you were dead, … because my evil copy had burst into this room and stabbed you, and the public blamed me for your death and hoped I would rot in Hell! Then, the ground beneath me collapsed and I fell into a pit of fire! My illusion ended, and I found myself back in reality. By then, I was so angry that the Darkness within me completely corrupted me, and I destroyed the ruby to kill off my clone before I finished Infinite off by … I … I …"

Tails almost couldn't speak of what happened next, as he couldn't brace himself for how Zooey would react.

"I stabbed him!"

Zooey gasped in horror, while Sonic was cringing the whole time Tails had been crying like a baby.

"I stabbed Infinite right through the chest, and he bled before his body disappeared and left our dimension!" Tails finished, "I killed him, Zooey! I KILLED HIM! I'M SO SORRY, BUT I KILLED HIM … JUST FOR YOU!"

At last, Tails collapsed to the floor and wept uncontrollably. It was so bad that he was on the verge of passing out again, but Sonic quickly crouched down and hugged him tightly. The fox's eyes were flowing freely with tears, and his weeps turned into miserable sobs and hiccups from not being able to breathe properly. Only once before had Sonic seen Tails cry like this, and to this day that dreadful memory of Tails crying the way he did after he gave the fox Cosmo's seed still made him cringe.

Zooey could not believe her ears. Tails had actually killed someone just to ensure justice for her, even after she told him that he never had to do that. This was a big shock for her. Why would Tails go as far as to kill someone just to defend her? He may have had reason to, considering that he believed her to be dead for a while, but he had never wanted to become a monster, and she never wanted to see him become a monster.

Outside the room, Amy, Knuckles and Sticks had heard everything, and they were all feeling saddened by Tails' outburst of misery. They knew he felt terrible for acting like a monster when he shouldn't have. His emotions had once again spiraled out of control, and there was nothing he could do about it once he believed for several precious minutes that Zooey had actually died.

It took Tails several minutes to settle down, with Sonic never letting go of his brother for even a moment. He knew he needed him, so he hugged the fox the whole time he cried, until he finally calmed down enough to look at his big brother, and then at his girlfriend.

"Tails?" Zooey spoke in a gentle voice.

"I'm so sorry, Zooey," sobbed Tails, "I never meant to kill anybody, but I wanted to see Infinite suffer because of what he did to you. I didn't want to become a monster, but I couldn't keep my emotions in, … and now … I've damaged my own soul."

"You didn't damage your soul, Tails," said Sonic gently, "I tried telling you this once, … but I'll try telling you this again: you didn't truly kill Infinite. All that happened was that he was injured so badly that his body fled the dimension before anything else could happen to him. You still have a bright, colorful soul, Tails, and Zooey and I will always make sure that you never kill anyone or become a monster you're worried that you might become, … because friends will always be there to help each other through thick and thin, no matter what happens."

"He's right, Tails," agreed Zooey, "Even if you did kill Infinite, I could never leave your side, sweetie. I'll always be yours, and you'll always be mine, so that you'll always be the fox genius you are today. I love you, Tailsy, … and I will always love you."

Tails managed to smile through the hiccups that were left over from his excessive crying, and he got off Sonic's lap and came right to Zooey's bedside. He wanted to hug and kiss her, but he wasn't sure if they could do so with so many wires and machines hooked up to Zooey. It broke his heart just seeing her in such a state, and it took everything for him not to start crying again.

"I love you, too, Zooey, … forever and always," the two-tailed fox said between hiccups and sniffles.

Determined to at least share some love, Tails jumped onto Zooey's bed and crawled right up to her. The vixen managed a faint smile as her boyfriend approached her, and she motioned for him to come closer. Tails was happy to oblige, and he took a few more baby-like crawls until his bright red, tearstained face was close enough to reach hers.

Then, the two foxes smiled at each other, and they brought their faces together for a much-wanted kiss. They kissed each other's cheeks several times each and nuzzled each other's faces, enjoying their first romantic moment since before Infinite's unexpected attack on Hedgehog Village.

Sonic watched the scene with a smile. He was so happy that his little brother was finally able to share some love with Zooey after everything they had been through today. He felt that he greatly deserved it.

After what felt like hours, although it had actually been two minutes, the two foxes ended their kiss and looked passionately at each other. Now that they had their moment to cherish their everlasting love for each other, Tails felt completely settled. He was so happy to have such a loving and caring vixen as his girlfriend, and also to have a loving and caring blue hedgehog as his adopting big brother.

"Hey," came Sonic's gentle voice, prompting Tails to look over at him, noticing that he had sat down on the bed, "I'm so proud of you, little bro."

Tails smiled at Sonic and brushed the last few tears from his eyes.

"Thanks, Sonic," the fox spoke in a voice that made him sound like he was still trying not to start crying again, "I love you, big bro."

"I love you, too, Tails, … my cool little bro," replied Sonic.

It was moments like these that Tails wished he could do a group hug with Sonic and Zooey, but with Zooey having several wires connected to her, that was not going to happen anytime soon.

"I wish we could do a group hug," the fox sighed sadly.

"I know, Tailsy," sympathized Zooey, "Once I'm out of this room, you can come over to my house while I'm recovering, and we can hug each other to our heart's content."

"How long will that be, though?" asked Tails in a dull voice.

"I might have to spend at least two nights here before they let me go on medication and painkillers," answered Zooey, "Don't worry, Tails. It won't be long before we can spend romantic time together some more."

"I still feel terrible for letting this happen to you," sniffled Tails.

"Please don't keep beating yourself over this, little bro," said Sonic in a stern yet gentle voice, "We all know you can't erase the past, but you can make up for it by doing the right things."

Tails looked down and did his best to not let another tear escape from his eyes, but a few still managed to come down anyway.

"Hey, … my little Tails bro," whispered Sonic.

The fox slowly turned his head back up to gaze at his big brother.

"Would it be okay if I stayed over at your place until Zooey is let out of the hospital, so I can cheer you up?" the hedgehog offered, "I think you and I should spend a few days all to ourselves just like we would whenever you were sad."

Tails instantly recalled the many memories of when he was so distraught, and Sonic would stick around until he was cheered up. If anyone could help the fox get over Zooey being stuck in the hospital, then it could only be his big brother who loved him so much.

With a teary-eyed smile, Tails responded, "Okay, Sonic."

Sonic smiled back, and the two brothers hugged each other once again. The fox could instantly feel warmness coming from Sonic's arms, and he knew right away that as long as Sonic was around, there would be plenty of happy times ahead until Zooey recovered.

"Excuse me, boys," came a female voice whom could only have been a doctor, "I'm sorry to have to break up this emotional moment, but I'm afraid we'll be requiring you both to leave in a few moments. Zooey needs as much rest as possible while she's here."

Tails sighed unhappily, feeling reluctant to leave Zooey in this dark place otherwise known as a hospital room.

"Okay, doctor. We'll be out of here in a few minutes," said Sonic.

Nodding, the doctor left the room, and the brothers turned back to Zooey.

"Don't worry, Tails," the vixen reassured her boyfriend, "I'll be just fine. The doctors will take good care of me, and I'll be out of here in a few days. I'm sure that as long as you have Sonic around, you'll have a good time."

Tails gazed at Zooey, who smiled and winked at him, and Sonic did exactly the same thing. This was enough to assure the fox that all would be well over the next few days, and he and Sonic were going to be in for a very good brotherly time.

"You're right, sweetie," the fox said to Zooey, "I'm gonna miss you for a while, but I hope to see you the day you come out of the hospital."

"I'll miss you, too, Tails, and I hope to see you when that day comes, too," replied Zooey.

"Ahem," the doctor coughed to get their attention.

The hedgehog and fox looked over to find the doctor motioning to them that it was time to leave.

"I guess it's time to go, Tails," said Sonic.

"Yeah," sighed Tails despondently, and he looked at Zooey one more time before he and his brother slid off the bed and started to walk away, "Well, … goodbye, Zooey. I hope you'll be out of the hospital soon."

"Me, too, Tails. See you soon," replied Zooey.

"Goodbye, Zooey," said Sonic.

"Bye, Sonic," responded Zooey.

With that, Sonic and Tails finally turned away from the injured vixen and reluctantly walked out of the room.

"It was so hard having to just leave her like that," said Tails sadly.

"I know, buddy," sympathized Sonic, "But it's for the best and to ensure that she recovers."

Tails sighed but nodded his head. He knew Sonic was right.

The duo looked at their three teammates still sitting on the bench in the hallway. They all looked quite shocked. It was obvious that they had heard Tails' outburst a few minutes ago.

"Are you feeling alright, Tails?" asked Sticks nervously.

"I will be in a while, I guess," answered Tails, sounding unsure, "Once Zooey is out of the hospital, at least."

The trio simply shrugged their shoulders as they stood up and followed the two leaders out of the hospital. They could tell it would be quite a while before Tails recovered from this incident. He would be scarred for at least a couple of months after what happened between him and Infinite.

Once Team Sonic was out of the building, they looked around and saw that some of the surrounding buildings had taken damage from the battle between Dark Tails and Infinite. Smoke continued to billow out of the damaged buildings, and some of the villagers were already removing debris and rubble.

"Come on, buddy," Sonic spoke to Tails, "Let's you and I head over to your place."

"Okay, bro," Tails responded.

"So, … are you two just gonna hang out for a while?" asked Knuckles.

"Yeah," Sonic responded, "Tails and I are gonna spend some brotherly time together for a while. It'll cheer him up, and I just know it."

"Am I invited to live under your porch?" asked Knuckles.

Amy and Sticks simply groaned in disgust, while Sonic and Tails glared at the echidna and answered with a firm, "No!"

"Aww," said Knuckles despondently as he watched Sonic and Tails leave, "But I wanted to have some free pie!"

No one heard but him.

* * *

In just a matter of minutes, Sonic and Tails would arrive at the fox's house, and the two spent the next couple of days hanging out together in Tails' living room much like they had done when Sonic's Shack was occupied by widabits. This time, though, Sonic would try to not be as messy and troublesome as he was last time, and Tails would be in for several straight happy days of just him and his big brother goofing off and doing many of their favorite hobbies that only the two of them did together, including several tickle fights each and every day. In fact, after having practiced for quite a while, Tails even started to beat Sonic in Mutant Wrestling every so often, and the hedgehog was so surprised to finally have his winning streak snapped!

Every morning, Sonic was sure to give Tails a bowl of Cocoa Rings with plenty of milk in them, as the fox absolutely loved Cocoa Rings! It had been his favorite breakfast for as long as he could remember. Sometimes, the Mail Express, pulled by Tails' precious 'Flying Scotsman' locomotive model, would arrive during breakfast, and Sonic would see nothing but pure joy written all over his little brother's face. A mixture of British steam locomotives and a bowl of chocolate cereal could often make Tails act like he was a toddler wanting to have so much fun until he wore himself out, much to Sonic's amusement. It was those huge, adorable smiles that the hedgehog always loved to see on Tails' face.

" _Now that I think about it, Sonic is quite a good roommate sometimes after all!"_ Tails thought to himself one morning after breakfast, _"Sometimes, best friends really CAN be best roommates!"_

Although it would be a while before Tails fully recovered from the incident with Infinite, and even though it would be a while before Zooey recovered from her injuries, as long as he had Sonic around, Tails was emotionally well on his way to recovery.

* * *

 _ **Well, I hope you liked this emotional piece of work that was my answer to the Dark Tails vs. Infinite fanfic challenge, and I'll see you next time hopefully with another story real soon!**_

 _ **Take care of yourselves and each other, and until next time, this is DiddyKF1 signing out! ;)**_


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